The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) launched an offensive on two junta bases near Tayang Zup and Nsawp villages on the Myitkyina-Sumprabum Road in Myitkyina Township, Kachin State on the morning of 1 August 2024.
The fighting in the two villages, that are about 10 miles apart, started at 7:00 am and continued until 1:00 pm, according to Colonel Naw Bu, a spokesperson for the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), the political wing of the KIA.
He said: “This morning, we launched an offensive against the junta base in Tayang Zup Village. The fighting is ongoing, and we have not yet been able to capture the enemy's camps.”
The fighting was more intense in Tayang Zup Village than Nsawp Village because the KIA focussed more of its effort on Tayang Zup as the junta has a larger base there.
Currently, control of the Myitkyina-Sumprabum Road is divided between the KIA and the junta. The KIA holds the section from Tayang Zup Village to Sumprabum Town in northern Kachin State, while the junta controls the segment from Tayang Zup Village to Tan Phaye Village in Myitkyina Township.
The KIA has escalated its offensive operations against junta bases and outposts in Myitkyina Township, with an increased focus on Myitkyina City, the Kachin State capital. The KIA's military objectives include gaining complete control over the entire Myitkyina to Sumprabum Road.
Recently, Junta soldiers set up a checkpoint on the road to Tayang Zup Village in the Jaw Masat Bum foothills on the outskirts of Myitkyina Township where they are conducting stringent checks on pedestrians, according to locals.
There have been internet disruptions, especially to mobile data services, throughout Kachin State since 21 July. Since then there has been heavy fighting in southern Kachin State around the junta's 437th Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 347 base in Momauk Township and in Bhamo Township. Also, on 1 August fierce fighting broke out in northern Shan State.
